Volkswagen AG and its Chinese joint ventures FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen will recall 4.86 million vehicles due to issues with air bags supplied by bankrupt auto parts maker Takata Corp, China`s quality watchdog said on Thursday.

The recall comes after the watchdog asked the German automaker, General Motors Co and Daimler AG`s Mercedes-Benz earlier this year to recall vehicles equipped with Takata air bags.

The watchdog estimated over 20 million cars in China had air bags made by Takata, which have been linked to at least 16 deaths and 180 injuries globally. The air bags have the potential to explode with too much force and spray shrapnel.